Colombia leader denies disaster-aid profiteering

President Belisario Betancur denied charges of profiteering in distribution of relief aid to Popayan. The city was hit by a severe earthquake last week. While not denying reports of confusion and slowness in distribution, the President proposed the creation of a group to administer the relief and channel all national and international resources. He also announced a $216 million emergency plan to reconstruct the historic sector of the 450-year-old city.